1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the application of adjustable and varying doses or amounts of treating liquids to desired portions of a field, such as portions having plants, crops, particularly in agricultural applications. More preferably, the invention relates to a system for controlling the nozzles, included in or added to, a self-propelled irrigation machine for irrigating water or applying chemicals to the plants or crops. The invention even more particularly, refers to a pulverization apparatus comprising an electronic control system including a central control, such as a computer, and a plurality of independent control modules arranged along the apparatus for controlling selected pulverization sections including nozzles, and an interface module connecting the independent modules to each other and to the computer. The system is capable of being programmed and containing an application map designed according to the needs of the field or specified lot. Basically, the computer unit registers the movements of the apparatus, determines the position of the apparatus at a sequence of time periods and, according to the map, decides the doses to be applied over the field and sends the order signals in packets to the several independent control modules for operating the nozzles.
For the purpose of the present specification the term xe2x80x9ctreating liquidxe2x80x9d must be understood as comprising any fluid, preferably a liquid, for applying to a field, particularly in agricultural applications, and it may be selected from water, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, nutrients and the like, diluted in water or pure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to provide irrigation machines for applying controlled amounts of water for irrigation purposes and even chemicals diluted into the water. There are two main types of irrigation machines including pulverization systems, namely the central pivot machines moving along a circumferential path and the linear machines moving along a straight path, as well as a third type of machine, namely the corner type machine which is adapted to central pivot machines to move over the corner portions of a field. The central pivot machines operates as a radius vector that spins on a central base or tower and comprises a plurality of spans or irrigation units which move independently, following an electromechanically aligned pattern.
The movements of the units are consecutive and coordinated to keep the proper alignment. The sequence of movements is controlled by a control box installed in a last tower and that regulates the speed of the system according to orders programmed on a time basis that determines the on/off percentage. This means that the operator decides on the timing for the rotation of the system by determining the on/off sequence of the last tower. This tower transmits the received information to the remaining towers through an electromechanical system located in the other towers for this purpose. The system is activated when the tower that initiated the movement has already swept a certain angle based on a dead zone, which is suppressed as from the moment the tower has to be moved. The total movement of the pivot system is made through the combination of internal movements of the equipment, which movements must be coordinated to keep the linearity of the system, thus achieving the correct application of the water.
The linear line machines comprises a frontal progression system wherein the spans or irrigation units move along a straight line over the surface of the field under irrigation. As compared to the central pivot system it may be said that the system works as if the fixed point of the pivot tower moved according to a lateral movement pattern. The third type, namely the corner machine, is similar to any span of the pivot type machine but with a different movement control that allows the machine or span to be folded when the boundary of the field or lot under irrigation becomes tangent to the circumferential path followed by the end span of the machine. This span acts like an arm that unfolds itself as the pivot gets away from the field boundary, in order to irrigate the outer surface of the irrigation circumference swept by the pivot machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,232 discloses an irrigation apparatus for applying agrochemicals with the irrigation water, wherein the water is used for transporting the chemicals in such a manner that the water source is in fluid communication with the chemicals source when the mix is being applied over the ground, thus risking contamination of the water source. In addition, not all the agrochemicals can be used because the same is excessively diluted in the water or the dilution is not enough, without means being provided to keep the proper dilution and concentration. Also, the chemicals can be applied only when the apparatus is operating in the conventional irrigation mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,164 to McCann, et al., discloses an apparatus and method for dividing a field to be irrigated by an irrigation system into a plurality of zones which can be monitored for irrigation water and chemical requirements and then, delivering by way of the irrigation system, the appropriate amount of irrigation water and/or chemicals to each zone as so defined. The apparatus includes a plurality of sprinklers that are independently controlled by valves responsive to control modules, which are electronically interconnected with a data acquisition and control unit for furnishing signals to the control modules in order to activate the sprinklers or deactivate each sprinkler. Maps from the field are generated by a programmed microprocessor that determines the current position of each independent sprinkler, the microprocessor then sending the registered information to the data acquisition and control system, which in turn sends these signals to the various control modules. While this system seems to provide an acceptable operation, the construction of the same in a particular machine or in a conventional irrigation machine is highly cost effective and cumbersome. The arrangement of the microprocessor, the control modules and the data acquisition and control unit involves an extreme amount of wiring for interconnecting the same. In addition, for purging the apparatus for removing the chemicals from the conduits upon termination of the application, the apparatus must be brought to a part of the field without crops and water must be injected through the conduits to cause the chemicals to be expelled directly from the sprinklers over the field with the dangerous consequences involved in this task against the environment. Also, this system still has the problem of water source contamination, and some chemicals cannot be used because of their inadequate dilution in high water volumes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,771 to Chapman, John A., discloses a chemical distribution system for use with a mobile irrigation system comprising a liquid chemical supply line vertically adjustably supported on the irrigation system and which is in operative communication with a pressurized source of liquid chemical. A liquid chemical distribution line is positioned beneath the chemical supply line between each pair of the drive towers for the irrigation system and which is in fluid communication with a remotely controlled valve which is in fluid communication with a chemical supply line. A plurality of valves and sprinklers associated therewith are provided on each of the distribution lines with the associated valve being operated by a control for activating selective distribution lines whereby liquid chemical may be applied to pre-selected portions of the area over which the irrigation system moves. While the problem associated to the use of water for the application of chemicals have been improved by this system, other drawbacks still remain, such as the need of regulating all the sprinklers, high minimal doses, lacking of a proper cleaning circuit, the doses are fix by lengths, and the need of effecting a manual adjustment when the doses must be modified. Also, this system does not work with corner machines, and the only sprinkler supported is one specially designed for this machine.
As to the known methods employed in the several techniques for irrigation there are two main methods for applying agrochemical products according to varying doses. A first method comprises the use of ground spraying machines, either self-propelled machines or human operated machines. These machines fail in that they need to use a global positioning system (GPS) to move over the ground in order to have a control on the position of the machine in the field. In addition, one or more personnel necessary to operate the machine are exposed to the products which are toxic and harmful for the human beings. These machines not only generate an undesired compaction on the soil and harm the crops, but they also are unable to perform a control over all the stages of the crops because the height of these machines is not enough to move over the highest crops.
The use of irrigation equipment injecting the agrochemicals with the water used for irrigation is also the most inaccurate and harmful method for the environment because the water flow and chemicals are distributed over the soil through the irrigating aspersing nozzles which are generally designed to irrigate and not to disperse or spray chemicals appropriately. When used for fertilizers, this method does not present problems because, even though the distribution of the fertilizer on the surface is not precise, the application may be considered acceptable. However, for using variable doses which require a precise control on all the nozzles in small areas, the method is unacceptable. This implies not only high operation costs but also a very difficult control over the irrigation flow. The method is neither acceptable in the use of other agrochemicals such as herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. In the case of equipment using the water flow for application of chemicals it is necessary to keep a precise control over each spray and the pumping system which must bear the variations in the liquids application flow.
It would be therefore convenient to have a new system for application of variable and adjustable amounts of irrigation water or chemicals, without the drawbacks above mentioned and related to the prior art systems.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a new apparatus system for overcoming all the above mentioned drawbacks and capable of being mounted in a mobile, self-propelled machine of any type, either a rotating machine, namely a central pivot machine, or a forward moving machine or linear machine, as well as corner machines or rotating machines including irrigation units for irrigating the corners of a field. When used in corner machines, the inventive apparatus is capable of sensing the angle formed by the corner and the circumference swept by the last span of the machine and thus determining the shape of the area covered by the corner machine and controlling the discharge pulses.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for application of treating liquids to a field, the apparatus comprising a plurality of irrigation units including nozzles for applying an adjustable amount of liquid over the field, motor devices for moving the irrigation unit over the ground, a system for delivering the liquid to the nozzles and a control circuit for controlling the operation of the nozzles, the control circuit comprising a computer unit for receiving inputted data and for operating the control circuit, an independent control module in each irrigation unit, a plurality of sensors for detecting several parameters of the unit and an interface module connecting the independent control modules to each other and to the computer unit.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for application of treating liquids to a desired portion of a field to be treated with the liquids, the apparatus comprising:
at least one irrigation unit including a plurality of nozzles arranged into a plurality of nozzle sections, each section applying an adjustable amount of liquid over a section of the field, according to an application map,
motor means for moving the irrigation unit over the ground,
liquid delivering means connected to the nozzles,
a main control panel, and
control means for controlling the operation of the nozzles in order to prevent the nozzles of a nozzle section from applying liquid over a field section overlapping an immediate field section that received an immediate last application of liquid, the control means comprising:
i) a computer unit in the main control panel for inputting data and for operating the control means,
ii) an independent control module in each of the irrigation units, the module being connected to a plurality of sensors for detecting several parameters of the unit, and connected to valves for delivering signal orders for controllably operating the nozzles, and
iii) an interface module in the main control panel and connected to each of the independent control modules and to the computer unit for providing a communication interface between the independent control module and the computer unit, wherein the independent control module is operable to record information from the several sensors, provide information to the computer unit only upon request from the computer unit, and receive order signals from the computer unit to operate the valves of the nozzle sections.
It is even another object of the present invention to provide a method for applying a treating liquid to a desired portion of a field by means of an apparatus comprising at least one irrigation unit including a plurality of nozzles arranged into a plurality of nozzle sections, motor means for moving the irrigation unit over the ground, liquid delivering means connected to the nozzles, a main control panel, and control means for controlling the operation of the nozzles, the control means including a computer unit in the main control panel, an independent control module in the at least one irrigation unit, connected to a plurality of sensors and to the nozzles, and an interface module in the main control panel and connected to the independent control module and to the computer unit, the method comprising the steps of:
inputting data relating to a desired application map and operating conditions of the apparatus into the computer unit,
moving the apparatus and operating the nozzles according to said data,
acquiring and storing into the independent control module data relating to position parameters of the apparatus over the ground,
requesting said information relating to said position parameters stored in the independent control unit,
inputting into the computer unit via the interface module said information relating to said position parameter of the apparatus,
calculating a distance parameter by comparing said information with an immediate former information relating to a previous position parameter until reaching a threshold distance parameter,
when reaching the threshold distance parameter, sending to the independent control module an order signal for actuating the nozzles.